Featured Post

Trading away the dance-pop trifles of their hits for a faceless stylistic shuffle, the duo seems to be tiring of itself, too. We’re going to be stuck with the Chainsmokers forever. Though the unctuous duo of Drew Taggart and Alex Pall are probably not destined for decades of unqualified success, their insipid spin on EDM’s big-money boom has become as much an eye-rollingly omnipresent part of our national fabric as “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Most living humans in the Western world have likely had the unfortunate sensation of having a Chainsmokers hit stuck in their head, as gross as gum on a hot bus seat; after all, their Coldplay collaboration, “Something Just Like This,” seems made only to ooze from department-store speakers for eternity. There’s even a goddamn feature-length film based on the M83-aping “Paris” in development. Like so many modern American atrocities, the Chainsmokers are just something we’re going to have to endure.

Flipboard

Lil Tracy - Sinner EP Music Album Reviews

The young rapper’s typically erratic nature is missing from latest EP, instead he is just is hurried and sluggish.

The internet is special, not just because our entire lives revolve around it, but because Lil Tracy is allowed to exist there without much question. Online, Tracy has gone through the gauntlet of erratic name changes like Yung Bruh, Lil Tracy, Tracy, Tracy Minaj, then back to Lil Tracy. He once threatened on Twitter to shoot up his own concert, which was subsequently shut down by the NYPD; Tracy was then placed under psychiatric evaluation for a week. And whenever his loyal fanbase plead for new music, he normally responds by purposely giving them the songs they least desire, like when he dropped his country-rap track, “Like a Farmer”—which of course, became one of Tracy’s signature tracks. Tracy is a hip-hop personality who works best when he’s at his most confusing, which is why a straightforward EP like Sinner falls flat.

Since migrating from the Raider Klan offshoot THRAXXHOUSE—which featured rapper Key Nyata and Lil B’s main producer Keyboard Kid—into the cult phenomenon internet crew Gothboiclique—which includes members like Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, and the late Lil Peep—Tracy’s music has been unpredictable. Tracy’s success stemmed from embracing the style of Gothboiclique, which incorporated themes of heartbreak, death, and drugs, into production based around cheap guitars and eerie synths. He set himself apart from the other members by pulling cadences and flows from similarly turbulent internet icons like Lil B, Spaceghostpurrp, and Black Kray, and making them more accessible. But that erratic nature of Tracy is absent on the EP, exchanged for a rushed project that often sounds like a parody of Gothboiclique music.

On Sinner, Tracy’s lone moment of unpredictability comes on closer “LIL WHORE!” in which his disgust at his erasure from the legacy of Lil Peep manifests. It results in a track where Tracy is unleashed on a rant about how in the year since Peep’s passing he has gone from his closest collaborator to a footnote: “They separated me and my friend, that made me mad/Then they had the nerve to go and run off with the swag.” Disappointingly, the effect of the tirade is lessened by Tracy’s off-pitch vocals and a lazy instrumental that feels unfinished.

The remaining four tracks on the EP feature a Lil Tracy that doesn’t seem engaged—at all—in the music he’s creating. Songs like “tattoos,” capture none of the heartaching pain that initially drew so many to the cult of Tracy: “My heart is cold, I just wanna make you shiver.” When Tracy taps into his moody, death anticipating, sad boy lyrics like, “I feel like I’m gon’ die before my grandma,” he immediately upends it with an unbearable hook, “Used to ask my homies for a couple bucks/Now I’m onto better things chewing on zucchini.” The tracks that portray Tracy’s unstable personality best like “bacteria” and “heart,” lean too strongly on the amateur guitars which would work better as an element of the production, not the main attraction.

Part of the Lil Tracy experience is that occasionally a project as hurried and sluggish as Sinner sees the light of day. But Tracy is an artist impossible to reach a conclusion on, because as soon as next week or maybe a year from now he could impulse drop a mixtape that showcases the complete deranged personality of the rapper, like 2017’s Tracy’s Manga. Tracy just operates in his own headspace, which sometimes leads to aimless music, but, like always, he’ll eventually stumble into something.

Popular posts from this blog

Apple’s latest iPad Pros are a very tempting purchase, but should you stick with the tried-and-tested Surface Pro from Microsoft? We help you decide which tablet to buy. Should I Buy The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 Or Apple iPad Pro 11in (2018)?Two very competent 2-in-1s, one running Windows 10, the other iOS 12. For many this difference alone will inform the final choice, but both are top-notch tablets.

You probably know Synology for making NAS drives but the firm has also turned its hand to mesh networks. Here we review the MR2200ac. Should I Buy The Synology Mesh Router MR2200ac?Synology could do a little more to explain the many features of the MR2200ac for first-time users, but the strong performance of this mesh system, and the fine-control provided by its web browser interface make it a good option for business users or home users who have a little more experience of networking technology.

Huawei has updated its budget Android phone for 2019. It’s faster and better than before, but should you buy it? Read our review to find out. Should I Buy The Huawei P Smart 2019?The P Smart 2019 is a great upgrade from the 2018 model with a bigger screen and better performance. However, as with the original P Smart, Honor's version is better value.

Though similar to the OnePlus 6T the Oppo RX17 Pro is very different thanks to the software. Here’s our full review Should I Buy The Oppo RX17 Pro?The RX17 Pro is a great looking phone with good performance and a lush display. But with a Snapdragon 710 rather than the better 845 it’s just impossible not to compare it to the OnePlus 6T which looks the same, has better software for the western market and, importantly, costs less.If you like the look of Oppo’s interface though then there’s a lot to like. The two colour options are premium as is the build quality and the cameras are above average if not great.

We've waited two years for the Nokia 9, and at the end of this month the company could finally put us out of our misery. Here's what we know about the Nokia 9 PureView, which could feature a penta-lens rear camera. Nokia made its comeback to the Android market in January 2017 with the Nokia 6, and we've been waiting two years now for its long-rumoured flagship Nokia 9 to arrive. At MWC 2018 we thought that time was here, and then we got the the Nokia 8 Sirocco. But now the wait could really, really be over, as the Nokia 9 is tipped to land before the end of January 2019.